


The Case of the Missing Nurse

by LadyGrey_BlackTea



Series: MageFam Week 2020 [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Childhood, Children, Fluff, Gen, Happy Family, MageFam Week (The Dragon Prince), Magefam, Mischievous Siblings, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23752750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyGrey_BlackTea/pseuds/LadyGrey_BlackTea
Summary: The problem with the brodigies is that they are too charming for people to get angry with them. 6-year old Soren and 4-year-old Claudia had a busy day today, which means Lord Viren will have a busier day tomorrow.Written for #MageFamWeek2020 – Day 1: Childhood, hosted by @yukifrill.
Relationships: Claudia & Soren & Viren (The Dragon Prince), Claudia & Soren (The Dragon Prince)
Series: MageFam Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712476
Comments: 16
Kudos: 18





	The Case of the Missing Nurse

A heavy downpour was assailing Katolis Castle as Lord Viren quietly trod towards his chambers, his steps completely silent against the stone floor. Even if he didn’t stalk his way like a panther, the hammering of the fat drops on the windows and the howling of the ferocious wind would have drowned even the sounds of a marching army. He could feel the cold creeping its way through the thick soles of his boots, coiling around his toes like a soulfang serpent and making him shiver. The chill that was slowly but surely creeping up his shins didn’t help his brooding mood at all, especially not after having to deal with Opeli in the Council meeting this afternoon. How the High Cleric proposed to solve any of the kingdom’s problems simply by citing law after law instead of offering practical counsel was still a mystery to the High Mage. If he wanted to know a specific part of the law he could just head to the library and read it himself, thank you very much. Although all he wanted right now was to sink into his armchair in front of the fire and sip a glass of wine, he still had some work to finish. Not to mention the children.

It had been two months since his wife left for Del Bar. It meant two months without finding both his children sleeping in Claudia’s bed after yet another yelling fight. On the other hand, it also meant two months finding both of them sleeping in _his_ bed when he woke up in the morning, with Soren curled around one arm and Claudia drooling all over the other. Seeing their sleeping faces the first thing in the morning made him remember what he was trying to protect and for whom he needed to make the kingdom prosper, but taking single parenting two kids was as tiring as taking care of an entire kingdom.

Viren took a deep breath when he arrived at the door to his quarters, bracing himself for the usual loud welcomes of his daughter and son. He still couldn’t figure out where their cheerfulness came from, since neither he nor their mother were the cheery kind, but he figured it was a good thing that they were such good-humored children. To his surprise, there were no loud “Dad!” shrieks of joy, no full-bodied hugs that threatened to throw him on the ground (they were growing up fast) and absolutely no sign of movement from his overexcited offspring. Where the hell are his children?

The chill that took hold of his body had nothing to do with the weather now. As he frantically searched for any sign of them, he spotted a suspicious mount on a rug to the side of the room, right next to his favorite armchair, which had grown black and purple stripped little legs from under the back cushion. The sides of his mouth involuntarily twitched up as he saw Soren’s feet moving in excitement at the end of the rug and he had to exert all his willpower not to release a chuckle.

“Ah, I’m so tired today,” he announced dramatically to the air. “Since Soren and Claudia aren’t here, I’ll just throw myself in my favorite armchair and rest my legs on that mound of dirt under the rug in front of it,” he said, doing exactly what he said he would do, careful not to harm the hidden children.

“Noooo, Dad!” they both shrieked in unison, exiting their hiding places laughing loudly and tackling him in a combined fierce hug with ice cold hands. How long were they waiting for him in that position?

“Oh, so that’s where you were,” the High Mage continued, theatrically.

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Claudia said, pouting.

“I’m not a mound of dirt,” Soren complained.

“And where’s Nurse? Shouldn’t she be here taking your lessons?” Viren asked, looking around to at least ANY sign of the woman who was supposed to be taking care of them.

“Oh, we said that we didn’t need her services anymore. I’m already four and Sor’s already six. We’re not toddlers anymore, we’re children.”

“... You dismissed Nurse and she just went away?”

“Nah, she didn’t. That’s why Clauds and I set fire to her skirt.”

“She was screaming very loudly, it was funny.”

“But guess what, Dad? I got to the training ward and got some knights to promise teaching me horse riding and sword fighting,” his firstborn announced, puffing his chest and looking proud of himself.

“You still need Nurse to teach your letters and how to read and write,” Viren said, shaking his head and fighting the inevitable headache.

“You’ve taught me how to read like three years ago, Dad. I’m already a big boy, I can learn how to use a sword and ride a horse. And Clauds already reads even more than I do. She likes books.”

“I do. And Sor likes the books with swords and fighting.”

“Yeah. They’re cool.”

“Oh, Daddy! I made a deal with the royal librarian and she’ll let me stay in the library while Soren’s training and I’ll start studying magic to be a great mage like you!” Claudia said, clapping her hands.

_This means I’ll have to deal with the fifth hysterical nurse this year, soothe a bunch of the knights and, worse of all, reason with that old hawk disguised as a librarian_ , Viren thought, rubbing his temples.

“Well, now that everything is clear, we can have our supper,” his daughter declared, pulling at his hand to guide him towards the table.

“Since you always say you’re tired after a High Council meeting, we got some food from the kitchen so we don’t need to go to the great hall,” his son added, pulling at his other hand. “We even got you some wine! But we had to promise the cooks that you’re the only one who can drink it.”

Claudia snorted. “Hah, as if we wanted to drink this sour smelling thing. I don’t know how you can like it, Daddy. It smells. Talking about smell, we got you some strong cheese too!”

He looked over to the table and saw what they meant: the plates were in place, they got the silverware in the right places (maybe their nurses weren’t that incompetent) and there was a cold meal under the tray covers. He looked down to the twin smug smiles plastered over their beaming faces and decided there was no way he could keep angry so long when they looked so cute. Not that he would admit it to anybody.

He let a resigned sigh. “Thank you, my children. But it doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. I’ll have to talk to Nurse, those knights and the royal librarian tomorrow.”

“Aww, Daddy. It’s okay, they’ve already agreed! Now let’s eat!” The youngest said.

“And you’ll stay with us today, right? You don’t need to go out again and do more work, right?” Soren asked, fixing his blue big eyes on him, pleading. One look at Claudia’s mirroring green eyes and he knew he had lost this round.

“I guess it can’t be helped. I can stay with you until your bed time.”

“Yaaay!!! Can you read to us? Can you do the flame trick while reading?” they chirped.

“Yes, I can. Now eat, otherwise you waste all my time at the table.”

Viren almost regretted saying that after seeing them devour huge amounts of food in a fast pace. No wonder they were taller than most kids their age, they could eat as much as a full grown adult. Where all that food went was a bigger mystery than the age of Harrow’s glowtoad.

“Oh, Dad! Look! My tooth is loose!” Soren suddenly said, swinging the front tooth back and forth with his tongue.

“Do you think the Tooth Fairy will come?” Claudia asked, looking excited.

“The Tooth Fairy isn’t real, Clauds,” the eldest child retorted.

“Of course she is! How come you can believe in elves but you can’t believe in fairies?”

“Elves ARE real! Aren’t they, Dad?”

“Yes, elves are real and very much dangerous. So are dragons”

“I told you! And I’ll become a sword master who’ll slay elves and dragons and protect the kingdom!”

“The tooth fairy is real too, Sor! How would she poop jelly beans if she wasn’t real?”

_I am raising a real lady, aren’t I?_

“No Clauds, the one who poops Jelly Beans is the Easter Rabbit!”

_Apparently I am raising a true gentleman too._

“Hah, the Easter Rabbit isn’t real, Soren. You’re such a kid!”

“I’m still older than you!”

“Just wait a few years and I’ll be older than you!”

_Er... sorry, Claudia. You won’t._

When they finally settled down with the book, Viren’s mood was much improved by the nonsensical chattering. Where do children get those ideas to start with?

“Read us that story with the boy and the girl!” his daughter pleaded.

_Which story with the boy and the girl?!_

“Yeah, the one where Hansel and Gretel get lost in Xadia and are kidnapped by the evil elf!”

_Ah, that one. Good job understanding Claudia, son._

“Can you lend me your hand, Daddy?” Claudia asked.

“I need to turn the pages, Claudia.”

“I can turn them for you, Dad! I told you, I’m already a big boy,” Soren said, looking eager.

Viren let a resigned sigh. “Alright. Once upon a time, when there was no Dark Magic and the kingdom was suffering from great famine...”

***

Viren took some time from his morning duties to visit the people his children bullied the previous day. However, to his surprise, he barely had any trouble at all. Nurse said she expected them to act like that when she took the job and he could just compensate for the burnt garment and leave her a reference letter. The knights said that they were entertained by Soren’s jokes (which made him seriously doubt at their sanity) and, since his son was so talented, it would be no trouble to start training him now. The old librarian woman looked up from her glasses and said that his daughter would use her time better at the library than with some uncultured Nurse and Claudia was quieter than most adult people who visited her library anyway, present person included. The cooks simply asked if he enjoyed the supper his kids prepared for him and congratulated him on having such warm hearted children.

“The problem is that, unlike their father, Claudia and Soren are too cute and charming. That’s why they have their way with almost anything,” Harrow said, chuckling, when he told him their latest mischiefs.

“It’s not good for their development if people keep pampering them.” Viren replied, frowning.

“And what’s with the nail polish, Viren?” the King asked, pointing to his hands while raising one eyebrow.

“Claudia said she prefers purple, but black suits me better.”

“... Aren’t you the one pampering them the most?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Writing children is so hard, I hope you had fun!
> 
> I hope we’ll get to see canon MageFam childhood someday, but no one will convince me that Viren wasn’t a caring father during the brodigies’ childhood! u_u (To be honest, I’m not sure even canon material could convince me otherwise)
> 
> I’m glad I was able to finish at least one work on time for MageFam Week. I was hoping to make a week of “The Case With...” works, but the Modern AU prompt stole all my (poorly managed) time. 
> 
> Comments are very much appreciated! ^^
> 
> Please, take care of your health, keep safe and spread positivity!


End file.
